


pain of a buried past

by scandalouslesbians



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Angst, Drama, Extramarital Affairs, F/F, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-01
Updated: 2017-04-01
Packaged: 2018-10-13 14:32:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10515672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scandalouslesbians/pseuds/scandalouslesbians
Summary: With the return of Hermione Lodge, Alice has to think about what the consequences are for not only Elizabeth but the life that she has built since the other woman has been gone and all that she does not want ruined.





	1. The Return of the Past

**Author's Note:**

> Italics indicate the past events, hopefully I will incorporate more of it into the fic to slowly allow you all to see their backstory.

_A feeling she couldn’t push away, that’s what it was. She wished it was for the boy that continued to smile at her that she was supposed to be in love with (but that was only what her mother wanted). Alice wished she felt the urge to smile genuinely back at him, but the only feeling was the comfort of having someone._

_She hated Hermione Rivera, that was what she told herself but as soon as she glanced at the other woman with the senior wrapped around her at every corner of the school she realized that she didn’t hate Hermione, she hated that there was never going to be a time where she would have the opportunity to be in that circle. To be near the other young woman._

_Casting a glance at her, she knew that it would never be a look that would be returned._

* * *

 

News that Hermione, now Lodge was returning to Riverdale had surfaced to her only the day before. the irony of working for the newspaper and being the last to get the news on the information was not lost on her. If she had wanted to know about what had happened to the woman after high school, she would have known the moment that it surfaced in Riverdale but avoiding anything that had to do with the woman made her life much easier.

Both of them had their children at an early age, it was the only thing Alice could ever remember having in common with the other woman, along with the pregnancy classes for young women that they both were required to take. After that, they remained apart and detached from the other’s life for as long as she could remember, or as long as she **_cared_ ** to remember.

The news of her coming back into the city would have been unimportant to her until she was reminded that her daughter may have to interact with the other woman’s. The problem easily presented itself that if the younger woman was anything like Hermione was in high school, she would instantly treat Betty as beneath her no matter where her social standing was.

She wanted to avoid that, more importantly, she wanted to avoid allowing any part of Hermione into the life she had built for herself.

 _Those_ feelings were gone, she had convinced herself of that. Any chance of them reoccurring were next to impossible. Even if there were, there was no probability that what attracted her to Hermione when they were in high school would be present any longer. They had both changed over the years, and Alice wasn’t attracted to women   _her mother disapproved of that notion without revealing any of it than she had of her telling her that she was pregnant in high school._

Pushing those feelings away had been for her family, and they had only benefited what she had received in life, Elizabeth and Polly. Recently she had perceived one of them to be harder to handle than she enjoyed but the problem was being handled to the best of her ability.

* * *

 

Later that day, she finds herself searching for any of the inconsistencies for her editorial the following day and she catches just one glance at a woman. It reminds her of Hermione but a smile is thrown at her when she spots her, this couldn’t have been the woman she went to school with  she barely glanced at her unless it was convenient or **_forced_ **. A smile was the signature that whoever that woman was, was not the woman she had known all of those years ago. It couldn’t be.

The only thing that made it seem probable was the swallow of the feeling that went through her with the look. Her time in college had produced a few interests of other women, but a gaze had never felt so prominent with anyone as it did her.

Ignorance was bliss in her case as she decided to return to the person she was interviewing, having them recite the quote once again to her. Once she was done, she made the decision to return home and allow herself to revel in the life that she had built for herself here with Hal. Any of the feelings she could experience would never be as significant as the ones for her family.

* * *

 

Alice notices a change in her daughter’s demeanor as she enters the house, it’s something that resembles a smile rather than the usual unease that has taken its place in her features since her sister has been gone.

“How was school today?” The question escapes her lips as routinely as brushing her teeth, but she allows herself to genuinely listen. It’s a distraction that she needs, but the smile on her daughter’s face is something she hasn’t seen in ages.

“Good, I think I may have a new friend.” The younger woman states, the smile on her face still evident as she speaks to her mother. Betty had always had Archie but the ability to branch out and have someone else there for her when he wasn’t there anymore gave her a feeling of reassurance. “Everyone else likes her, she stood up for me today.”

“You can always stand up for yourself, Elizabeth. I know that you do not see it in yourself, but you don’t need someone else to do that for you.” Alice had seen that fire die with the parting of Polly from that school, she supposes that the younger sister saw Polly as a blanket of security. “What’s her name?”

“Veronica, Veronica Lodge.” She states clearly, ignoring her mother’s comment about herself.

“Lodge, as in Hermione Lodge’s daughter?” An eyebrow raised at the younger blonde. The scenario that she had wished to avoid with Elizabeth was rising to the surface faster than she would have anticipated.

With a nod of her head, Betty uttered a “Yes.” Her head tilted to the side, wondering what the statement had changed about her mother’s attitude of surprising happiness for a small second.

“I don’t want you associating with a girl like that.” Her voice is clear and almost immediate when her daughter confirms who it is, she wouldn’t let a repeat of history happen again even if her daughter didn’t have any of the same feelings that she did for the same type of girl.

“What why?” A look of confusion on her daughter’s face appeared instantly with the words she threw at her.

“Girls like her and her mother are only friends with you to get what they want, she’s not doing it for you Elizabeth. You don’t need someone like her.” Engaging in the history that she had with Hermione was not a desired explanation but if Betty needed it she would give the brief summary.

The pain in her daughter’s eyes is prominent as she gets up and leaves, “I can’t have anything.” She can hear almost beneath the girl’s breath before she turns to go up towards her room.

Alice had known that the return of the Hermione would only bring back trouble, but she didn’t want her to daughter affected by something that had happened to her years ago.

She had to protect Betty, and _almost as important_ in that regard, she had to protect herself.


	2. You Can't Always Prevent Pain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this chapter alice encounters someone unexpected when she leaves the register and has to deal with the implications of her actions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I know it's been exactly a year since I've updated and I apologize for that, but I wanted to learn more about both of their characters more. I thought by now, we'd at least have some flashbacks. I hope you all enjoy, I wanted to give everyone that was following this at least something more for now (I promise I won't take another year to update). I apologize for any potential errors.

_ Looking in the eyes of the teenage boy who was generous and kind, she saw an escape out of the life that was the reason she felt beneath everyone at the school. Mostly she felt beneath the girl that captured her eye easily, who she doubted that would look in her direction. Alice could see that Hermione had Fred Andrews wrapped around her finger, she would be damned if she ever allowed that girl to get the better of her.  _

 

_ Her attention shifting back to Hal, she decided that this was the escape she needed - it was going to be the life that lead to happiness. She’d already faced the disappointment with FP Jones,  she wouldn’t do the same for someone that only acknowledged her existence when it benefited her.  _

 

That feeling had lasted with the family he had given her and the life she had wanted for herself, he held the secrets in that she had feared would spill out. He had been the reason she had been lead into the right direction, even after the break they had in high school - it was part of the reason why she ended up with him. It was enough for her,  it let her escape the south side and that was all that mattered. 

 

She had control of her life, it almost seemed calm with the routine that she had in place - everything was the way it should have been. That was until the death of Jason Blossom and the the convenient arrival of Hermione Lodge.  Anger buried with the other woman’s existence rising to the surface once again as soon as she had been told of the brunette’s reappearance in a place that she had abandoned. As long as Betty listened to her and avoided  _ that _ family there would be no reason for her to have to interact with that woman again;  it was the best course of action for the parties involved.

 

Her eyes focused back on the article that was presented before her, she was on a deadline - focusing on things that could never be, things that she  _ shouldn’t _ still wonder about needed to stop. Hermione could not occupy any of the parts of her brain if she wanted to keep the life of perfection that she established and worked hard to maintain. 

 

“Hal?” She called out without taking her eyes off of the screen, her focus on the task at hand. When she heard the faint noise of response from her husband, she continued. “Sheriff Keller revoked his statement on this, I need you to go find any witnesses that can back up the statement or we’re going to have to give up on this part of the investigation. You and I both know we can’t afford to lose this story.” It was more of a demand than it was a request but reaching the deadline was important as the story was finally increasing the sales due to the credibility that was presented in them.  They were the only paper in town, but it wouldn’t be hard for their customers to turn to the local news channel instead. 

 

“I know, I’ll make sure that doesn’t happen.” Logging out of his computer, Hal grabbed the equipment that he needed and headed out of the Register.  He seemed content, but she could still read through it with the reluctancy she could see in his steps before he moved towards his car. 

 

Alice hated how relief began to fill her as Hal left the building, it wasn’t that the silence was present between them most days because they weren’t happy with each other. Sometimes she  **_wished_ ** that was the case, she wished he would have the nerve to pick a fight with her but he complied so easily with what she wanted. That was a part of the reason she had chosen him, he put her before himself but there was still something missing even when he was beside her. 

 

The happy life with a husband and children  had been the one that she had wanted her entire life,  _ this _ was what she wanted but why didn’t she feel complete? 

  
  


They had found one witness, their credibility was questionable. The methods her husband had for interrogation were not as ideal as she would have liked but it was better than not having a source at all at this point. Most of the residents didn’t analyze it as much as they should have so questions of her sources would likely not be examined the way they were throughout all of college,  the content being what was criticized above all else.

 

After finally polishing the finishing touches on the article, she logged out and locked up the Register for the night. The article would be published first thing the next morning, it was an accomplishment that made her feel better about the missed time with her family. She was grateful that she continued to keep the business running and that the weight of it all wasn’t just on her shoulders,   she at least shared that burden with Hal. It was one good thing that came from their marriage she thought as she glanced at the door before heading off in the direction of her car. 

 

As she moves to get into the car, she notes the face of the woman who had nearly destroyed her in high school and still the feeling of longing refuses to pass.  Dark eyes are on her and she shouldn’t give her the satisfaction of acknowledging that she knows that she’s there, but it’s an opportunity to know that she sees her at her darkest point. An eyebrow raises as she glances over in the brunette’s direction and unexpectedly,  she sees Hermione approach her. 

 

“Alice Cooper, another long day of spreading more lies throughout the town,  I assume? ” The former socialite offers as she approaches her, still at a distance where Alice can flee the situation if that’s what she chooses to do, but Alice was done running from this woman. Hermione had been the one that ran from the small town and now she was made to feel like the outsider that Alice had felt like in high school. 

 

The reporter knew it wasn’t mature to treat Hermione as everyone else had since her return,  but she wasn’t going to give her the satisfaction of thinking she could come back to Riverdale and she could have  **_any_ ** advantage over her. Alice had let the brunette have it in high school and she wouldn’t repeat the same mistake of letting it happen again.  She had her family to think about and she couldn’t risk it being torn apart anymore than it was because of feelings that had always remained buried below the surface. 

 

Her arms cross over her chest and she shakes her head,  “You can tell everyone what you want about your husband, but I know the truth and so do you.” Hiram Lodge wasn’t innocent, everyone knew that and she wouldn’t push that fact aside because it was convenient for Hermione. She didn’t owe her any favors,  she wouldn’t start now. 

 

“It was already all over the New York Times, did you really feel the need to add more than was necessary?”  It was already at everyone’s access if they wanted to search why Hiram wasn’t beside her, Hermione didn’t need the other woman to remind everyone why she had to return to the small town. The judgment had already been enough as it was. 

 

“I needed to make sure that they knew the truth, Hermione. We can’t all hide in the shadows like your husband wants to do.” After seeing the brunette at Pop’s Diner,  she should have started trying to give her the benefit of the doubt, but Hermione didn’t deserve an award for making her feel the way she did in high school. Over two decades passed and the feeling had been pushed back,  but every time she encountered the former socialite, she was reminded of an opportunity that she would never have. 

 

“That isn’t why I came to see you.”  Hermione admits, knowing that to continue the argument with the blonde would only prove to be pointless.  “My daughter told me that you you didn’t want her to associate with Betty. May I ask why?” She has her assumptions about why Alice is hesitant,  but she wants the reporter to confirm why. 

 

“You can ask all you want, Hermione,  but it’s none of your business.” Her tone is defensive and she doesn’t even try to hide it. After a moment of silence from Hermione,  she knows that this is more than about feelings that had been hurt years prior and it’s best to get it out in the open. “I want to prevent Betty getting pushed aside as soon as Veronica becomes more familiar with the rest of the students.”  She can only guess that the reason that the younger woman decided to befriend her daughter was only because she was among the first that she’d met with. It isn’t the whole truth, it’s still not a lie on Alice’s part. 

 

“Alice, you know as well as I do that we can’t protect them from everything.” The change in the lifestyle they once had in New York was evidence of that. Hermione wanted to ensure that Veronica’s involvement in Hiram’s business was kept to a minimum as soon as she was made aware of the changes in his methods that he needed to use in order to excel.  To do so, Hiram made sure to distract her every time a question about his business was presented before them to something she would be much more interested in discussing. 

 

“That may be true,  but you know as well as I do that we at least have to try when we can.” Her daughter wasn’t someone that would rebel entirely, it wasn’t part of her at least when Betty was on her medication.

 

“What happened in the past shouldn’t affect how our daughters interact with one another, it won’t stop them from having to see the other.” With the friends that Hermione had in New York and her experience with Veronica, there was no keeping them away from the inevitable. 

 

The reporter knows from her past, that the brunette’s words are right, despite what she wants to admit. Shaking her head,  Alice lets out a sigh in defeat, the day had been too long to continue to fight this woman. “Fine, but I don’t want her at the Pembrooke.” If it was going to happen, she wanted it to at least be on her terms and under her supervision. With the activities that Hiram Lodge got into, she wouldn’t want Betty exposed to that type of environment. 

 

“I suppose I can agree to that,  but we don’t need to involve ourselves in what happens between them.”  Hermione reminded the blonde as she shifted closer, she wanted to give Veronica a chance to find people that she connected with,  she wouldn’t get involved unless it was absolutely necessary. She didn’t need anyone else against her with all that already were because of who her husband was. After a moment, curiosity gets the better of her and Hermione can’t help but wonder   **_why_ **  Alice had put up so much resistance at the thought of their daughters becoming friends. “What problem could you possibly still have with me after two decades, Alice?” With what she remembered, she had done nothing more than tell the blonde she was moving to New York. 

 

“Nothing, this isn’t about us, this is about our daughters, Hermione.”  Her eyes rolled at the accusation that it would be because of her, this wasn’t high school.  “I have to go.” She could barely tolerate to be in the other woman’s presence for the amount of time that she had, it was more time than the brunette deserved. Alice moved towards her car and away from the other woman that was so easily able to get under her skin,  she wouldn’t let her do that anymore. If she would have looked back, she would have seen that the stare that Hermione was giving her let her know that she wasn’t the only one affected.

  
  


_ Hermione had always admired the finer things in life and she always did what was expected of her. There were some exceptions that included Fred Andrews,  his aspirations weren’t as high as the could have been with his potential, but they were enough for her with his position on the football team. Her parents had their idea of what they wanted for her, someone that would take her out of the small town. _

 

_ She convinced them that with the dreams he had,  that he would. He made her happy and that was all that mattered to her,  he was all she could have asked for. She assumed that the small void that she felt was due to the pressure from her parents to be with someone with a better vision for her future.  Hermione had been naive to believe that it was until one night where she attended a party at his house.  _

 

_ Fred had always been accepting of those on the South Side, he hadn’t opposed them as much as the rest of the school that was,  so he invited a select few. Alice Smith being among one of them, she saw her in the hall every now and then, allowed her eyes to linger for longer than most people.  Hermione was aware that Alice was from the South Side and observing the demeanor that differed from the rest had always been the reason why she believed that she looked so long. Still, the only interactions that she had with her were for projects that they were paired up for - her reputation couldn’t risk anymore than that.  _

 

_ As the night passed on, Fred introduced them, “You know Alice from Biology, right?” Most people wouldn’t have known that she did, but Fred always wanted to talk about how FP was interested in her.  “Of course.” She stated as her eyes roamed over the serpent before meeting the blue ones across from her. How could she possibly forget someone that dissected the frog for her? She wasn’t as shallow as everyone perceived her to be,  there were many that she dismissed, but she never forgot people that were selfless enough to do what she didn’t want to do.  _

 

_ Alice shouldn’t have been as surprised as she was by that fact given they saw each other every day in the class, but she was because of who Hermione was. With no hesitation,  she offers the other woman a smile, before she can say anything Fred makes the comment, “C’mon we gotta play seven minutes in heaven before it starts.” Hermione, in turn, returns the smile as Fred drags her away from her classmate.  _

 

_ As soon as they find their seat on the chair,  Hermione on the chair and Fred on the arm of it,  everyone begins to spin the bottle. A beer or wine cooler is in most of their hands,  Hermione’s are bare of either, but she notices the beer in Alice’s hand when she comes in.  “FP, you can start this off.” Fred states and FP doesn’t wait to spin it, waiting to see if it would turn on Alice. Instead,  it turns to Sierra.  _

 

_ It’s apparent to everyone in the room that neither wanted this,  but they make their way to the closet. Hermione’s eyes glance around the room and as much as she doesn’t want to share her boyfriend,  she doesn’t feel threatened by anyone other than the girl she sees from the South Side.  _

 

_ After it’s over,  a couple more people spin and miss who they wanted to be in the closet with,  until it’s Fred’s turn. His choice doesn’t land on Hermione and despite the facade she continues to put up during the time.  It’s easy to see that she isn’t okay with it being with Mary, especially not with what everyone can hear and the smiles on their faces when they leave it.  She doesn’t bother to wait for either of them to sit down to spin the bottle and wait for who it turns on.  _

 

_ Considering it lands on Alice,  she would normally have to spin again because most of the time same-sex didn’t count. This time,  Hermione could care less - at least she would have someone to talk to.  _

 

_ “Are you coming?” Standing up,  the brunette glances at Alice and immediately she follows her into the closet.  _


End file.
